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Sun & Sand

I’ve decided that among the infinite things that I love about Sicilia, I think that the amazing tan that I have from being at the beach is at the top of the list. I LOVE a good tan (fake or real), but a real, deep, Italian tan is the best. Even though I’m fair skinned, I tan really well after a few days in the sun. The fellow Sicilian beach-goers even complimented my brown tan today! Don’t worry, I have been religiously applying sunscreen because the sun is really strong. I reapply, but still manage to get a little bit red in random spots. We have been going to the beach everyday because it’s the perfect weather to go, and we can go when the tourists aren’t here.

The past two days have been very normal. My “normal” days consist of me first waking up, saying good morning to everyone, eating breakfast, and then exercising. I exercise in their giant basement at home, and sometimes I go for a long walk or run. Then, I clean myself up and get ready for the day. Once Mama and I are ready, we do whatever we need to for the day. Sometimes, we run random errands, and sometimes we go to the beach.

Around 3:00 pm everyday, we go to pick Sofia up from school. This usually also turns into a trip to the park because we hear, “andiamo al parco?????” repeatedly from the backseat of the car. Then, Sofia usually has English school, gymnastics, or both. We take her to one of these, and then run more errands or go shopping. We go to the market at least twice a day, so some of the errands are going to the supermarket! For the locals, cheese that is more than 3 hours old is not fresh, and the same goes for bread. We also typically make a stop at the fruitteria daily, and I love going! I always want to buy one of everything. It’s so fresh, and all of the produce actually smells amazing.

We typically eat dinner around 8:30 every night, sometimes a little later. For dessert, sometimes we have sweets, but usually we have fruits! The melons are amazing here, and so are the cherries. Yesterday, I ate a cherry properly for the first time. I hate to keep the seed in my mouth because it’s too difficult to find, and I’m afraid of choking. I know that I’m an adult and this should be easy, but I have a horrible fear of choking on food. I’m glad that I’m confident in my cherry eating abilities because I do not have to waste most of the cherry (or olives) anymore. I learn something new everyday!

Around 9:30, we usually put Sofia to sleep after her nightly routine, and I head to my room. I usually clean up my room, shower, and get ready for bed. I also write my blogs, check emails, and do whatever work that I need to do during this time! I love my bedroom here because the colors are crisp, everything is comfortable, and it inspires me to write or draw. I wish I could leave the windows open for some natural air, but unfortunately the bugs ruin that for me 🙂

As for an update on how my face is doing, the bug bites are starting to shrink. I took a “selfie” on the first morning that I had the bites just in case anything crazy would happen, and it reminded me of when I had mono and had the terrible allergic reaction. This picture was just as hideous and hilarious, but necessary. I have never been more thankful to have good, clear skin in my life! I’ll never take advantage of it again. I can’t wait for these awful bites to go away. Hopefully, it’s soon!

Abby

The BEST cannolo that I’ve ever had! Elena knows the owners of Bottone, and she kept telling me that these were the best. She was right! Bottone is in Ragusa and Milan, and makes the most amazing cannoli. If I die, give me an IV of this cannolo creme and I’ll be just fine.

Breakfast this morning! It was ricotta, dark chocolate, flax seeds, and honey. I’ve tried this in America, and having fresh ricotta makes all the difference.

I really want this balcony.

The beautiful streets of Ragusa.

Another delicious white wine that I tried tonight! This is a Siciliano wine from Catania. I really enjoyed Planeta, and they are very similar. This one is slightly more dry, but not too much.